title: Lack of association of the serotonin transporter gene promoter region polymorphism, 5-HTTLPR, including rs25531 with cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption.
abstract: We addressed the question whether 5-HTTLPR, a variable number of tandem repeats located in the 5' end of the serotonin transporter gene, is associated with smoking or alcohol consumption. Samples of DNA from 1,365 elderly women with a mean age of 69.2 years were genotyped for this polymorphism using a procedure, which allowed the simultaneous determination of variation in the number of repeat units and single nucleotide changes, including the A > G variation at rs25531 for discrimination between the L(A) and L(G) alleles. Qualitative and quantitative information on the women's current and previous consumption of cigarettes and alcohol were obtained using a questionnaire. Genotypes were classified according to allele size, that is, S and L with 14 and 16 repeat units, respectively, and on a functional basis by amalgamation of the L(G) and S alleles. Data were subjected to regression analyses. These analyses revealed P values for associations between 5-HTTLPR genotype and alcohol and cigarette consumption in the range from 0.15 to 0.92. On adjustment for age and educational level, significance for the associations of 5-HTTLPR with the smoking and alcohol consumption measures was not reached. We conclude that 5-HTTLPR is not an important determinant of smoking behavior and alcohol consumption in elderly women.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Sct. Hans Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospitals, Roskilde, Denmark. henrik.berg.rasmussen@shh.regionh.dk
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bagger
authors.forename: Laszlo B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Tanko
authors.forename: Claus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Christiansen
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Werge
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D000483:Alleles; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics*; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012044:Regression Analysis; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins